Word Origin & History

divide late 14c., from L. dividere "to force apart, cleave, distribute," from dis- "apart" + -videre "to separate," from PIE base *widh- "to separate," related to widow; and see with. Mathematical sense is from early 15c. The noun meaning "watershed, separation between river valleys" is first recorded 1807. Divider "partition or screen," especially in a room, is from 1959. Divide and rule (c.1600) translates L. divide et impera, a maxim of Machiavelli. Related: Divided; dividing.

Example Sentences for divided

So we voice our hope and our belief that we can help to heal this divided world.

The House divided and the government were left in a minority of nineteen.

There they sat down around a council table, and there they divided the spoils.

One to me, one to you and one to be divided up among the others.

In this case the indication of the pointer must be divided by ten.

Into how many Tables is the Law divided, and what does each Table teach?

The library is divided into five parts, and each librarian gets a share.

Even in the Porter household, which was at Ringwood Farm, was divided allegiance.

"'A house that is divided against itself cannot stand,'" quoted Linda.

The garden was divided into rooms by the box, and in each room bloomed the flowers.